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Brown Noise Vs. White Noise: Similarities, Differences, & Which One To Tune Into
If you instantly feel calmer when you hear waves crashing or a soft rain hitting your window, you’ve already experienced the benefits of sound therapy. But what you may not know is that different sounds emit different frequencies, and that can have an impact on your mood, sleep, and focus.
There are several different “colors” of sound, but here we’ll look at white noise vs. brown noise to see how the two relaxation-inducing frequencies compare.
What are noise colors?
Before diving directly into brown noise vs. white noise, let’s back up a second and talk about noise colors in general.
Noise colors are different audible sounds that contain varying frequencies. In other words, the different sound colors vibrate at different frequencies, and they’re named after the colors of light they most closely represent.
For example, white noise emits every audible frequency, just like white light includes all visible colors of light.
“Traditionally, these sounds have been applied in the fields of acoustics, music, physics, and audio engineering. They can be used practically, for example, to calibrate electronic sound equipment, or more theoretically, for example, in describing certain properties of radiation,” says audiologist Jennifer Schumacher, Au.D., F-AAA, who adds that today, we’re seeing more applications related to personal health or well-being.
Summary
What is white noise?
In addition to being the most researched, white noise is also the most well-known noise “color,” according to Schumacher.
“It has equal intensity across all the frequencies and is similar to sunlight, which contains all the colors of the visible spectrum and appears white,” she says.
White noise tends to have somewhat of a hissing sound (think TV static, a fan, or a vacuum). And some people can find white noise jarring because high pitches or heavier bass can be startling.
That being said, white noise is the most extensively studied sound color, and there are a handful of smaller studies that show it can be an effective sleep aid1 for two reasons: It helps block out external stimuli (like busy traffic or a snoring partner), and it can give the brain something to focus on to steer it away from “monkey mind,” or swirling, disruptive thoughts.
Specifically, white noise has been shown to decrease sleep latency2 (or the amount of time it takes to fall asleep) and nocturnal disruptions. This is why white noise machines are often used to promote a peaceful bedroom environment.
Summary
What is brown noise?
“Brown, pink, or any other ‘colored’ noise is white noise that has been filtered, just as sunlight can be filtered by a prism to reveal one or more of the colors it contains," Schumacher says. "A certain area of sound frequencies in colored noise is emphasized to be more intense than the rest, or there may be frequencies that are decreased."
More specifically, brown noise has a deeper intensity than white noise and sounds like a low roar. This would be like a rushing river or a strong wind. Without getting too in-depth into acoustics, this means you will still hear much of the low-frequency “hum” you’d hear with white noise, with less of a higher-pitched “hiss.”
Brown noise has been mostly studied for sleep since it’s “less disturbing2” than white noise. However, there’s very little research on it. Most studies look at white noise and don’t compare the effects of different noise colors.
Summary
Is one better?
The question of whether one is better than the other is hard to answer because there’s just simply not enough research behind brown noise (or even white noise1, really) to make definitive statements. While experts tend to think brown noise sounds more pleasing to the human ear, a lot of this also comes down to personal preference and how you perceive specific sounds.
For example, some people may feel more relaxed listening to the whirring of a fan (white noise), while others prefer the roaring of a rushing river (brown noise).
How do they compare to other noise colors?
Beyond white and brown noise, there are other noise colors too. Each color refers to a differently shaped filter, which creates a different audio quality to the noise, even though it still sounds like constant static, as white noise would, says Schumacher.
When discussing frequencies, all colors are compared to white noise, which has a flat spectrum.
- Pink noise: Pink noise is white noise that’s been filtered to have less energy in the higher frequencies—3 dB (decibels) per octave. It has less of a hiss than white noise, but isn’t as toned down as brown noise. Listening to pink noise has been shown to quiet brain wave activity and promote sleep.3
- Blue noise: Conversely, blue noise has more energy in higher frequencies, or an increase of 3 dB per octave. Blue noise will have a more pronounced hissing sound than white noise.
- Violet noise: Violet noise is a more intense version of blue noise, with high frequencies increased by 6 dB per octave. An example of violet noise is the sound of a dentist’s drill (needless to say, it’s unpleasant for most people).
How do I choose the right noise color?
This is where things can get a little more complicated. While different noise colors are often said to help with varying goals, like better sleep, improved focus, and general relaxation, there’s not a lot of research to back up any purported health benefits beyond white and pink noise, according to Schumacher.
“Part of the issue likely lies in that there is a lot of variation in the studies—how they are designed, the people who participate as subjects, and the ways they define or measure ‘better sleep.’ Still, it’s important to be aware that there isn't strong evidence for the use of sound therapy in this way,” she says.
To add to that, there are so many individual human factors that lead to different perceptions of the same sound. For example, one person might prefer the whirring and hissing of white noise, while another might find the lower roar of brown noise more appealing. Hearing loss can also affect noise perception and which sound will work better for someone.
“This is one of the reasons the field of psychoacoustics came into being—because there are so many individual human factors that lead to different perceptions of the same sound,” says Schumacher.
That being said, experts do have some guesses as to whether brown noise or white noise would be generally more appealing for certain uses:
- Sleep: White or brown noise (or pink noise)
- ADHD: Brown noise
- Focus: Brown noise
- Relaxation: Brown noise
There is also another, perhaps lesser-known, use of sound therapy in health, and that’s for treating tinnitus, according to Schumacher. Tinnitus is a self-perceived ringing, buzzing or humming sound in one or both ears. It can be soft, loud, constant or intermittent; barely noticeable or very annoying, even debilitating.
“In severe cases of tinnitus, noises like white and pink noise can be part of a tinnitus retraining therapy program. Along with education on tinnitus and how to cope with it, noise can be used to mask the tinnitus from an acoustic perspective, while also helping reduce the person’s awareness of it psychologically,” she says.
And while there is some evidence4 that sound therapy can help treat tinnitus, Schumacher stresses that it’s important to work with an audiologist to develop a comprehensive treatment program that’s most effective.
Summary
A simplified approach to sound therapy
Because there’s not a lot of research to support different noise colors for different applications, most experts think it’s best to just take a general approach. If the thought of figuring out how different colors can help you is giving you analysis paralysis, it’s better to just jump right in rather than worrying about specific frequencies.
That is, instead of obsessing over trying to get the “perfect” brown noise for sleep, you can just find a sound that makes you feel good and relaxed. But if you want to get a little more granular, there are also products and apps that can help you do that.
How to listen to brown noise & white noise
According to Schumacher, there’s a plethora of products out there that emit white and colored noise, with apps on smart devices being particularly convenient since they can be played right through headphones.
“The noise can often be customized to sound just the way you like, either by picking one specific sound type (say, brown noise) or by using an equalizer to adjust the frequencies yourself. It’s really up to you based on your personal preference for the sounds you want to listen to,” she says.
Here are four options that allow you to play around with different sound colors and frequencies:
ReSound Relief app
This app was designed to be a sound therapy tool for people with tinnitus, but it can, and is, used by anyone looking for sound therapy for relaxation, focus, meditation, or sleep, according to Schumacher.
“You can create your own personal ‘soundscape’ with up to five different combinations of white noise, pink noise, and nature sounds. The Relief app has been shown in one research study5 to reduce negative emotions, such as stress, associated with tinnitus. It’s certainly possible it can help do the same for anyone who uses the app, not just tinnitus sufferers,” she says.
LectroFan
LectroFan is one of the most popular sound machines. It has a total of 22 unique (non-looping) sounds, plus 10 fan sounds, two ocean surf sounds, and 10 noise color variations, including white, brown, and pink noise. It has a sleep timer, so you can set it for one to eight hours.
There’s no Bluetooth capabilities so you can’t hook it up to headphones, but this is generally preferred since listening to sound via headphones all night can negatively affect your hearing.
Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sound Machine
This sound machine is similar to LectroFan, but it has a few more sound options (30 in total). You can’t adjust the frequencies manually, but there’s a true “white noise” option, plus nature sounds, like rainfall and waterfall, that fall under the brown noise frequency.
These sounds are real nature sounds, too—according to the brand, the audio team records actual environmental sounds and then adapts them for use on the sound machine. There is a sleep timer, or you can play continuous sound if you want the noise to stay on.
MyNoise app
The MyNoise app is another app that lets you manually control sound frequencies to create your own versions of white noise, brown noise, and all other noises on the color spectrum. There are sliding bars that allow you to change the frequencies so you can tailor the “hiss,” bass, and pitch levels to a sound that feels good to you. It can be played through your device’s speaker or via headphones while you sleep.
Side effects & special considerations
It’s possible to damage your hearing if you are exposed to loud sounds, especially over a long period of time, like the entire night while you sleep, according to Schumacher.
“If the noise you're listening to in your headphones is 85 dB(A) or higher, you are putting yourself at risk for noise-induced hearing loss. This is around the same intensity as a vacuum cleaner or blow dryer,” she says.
If you are suffering from tinnitus and feel like you are relying heavily on noise or other sounds to sleep at night, it’s best to speak to an audiologist about a comprehensive sound therapy plan that can help you manage your tinnitus all through the day and night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I sleep with brown or white noise?
This is largely up to you. Anecdotally, many people find brown noise less jarring since it has lower frequencies and less of a “hissing” sound. Because of this, it’s often recommended over white noise for sleep. But white noise has been semi-established as a sleep aid too, so if you prefer the hissing and whirring, either one is worth a try.
What is brown noise best for?
Some preliminary research suggests that brown noise is best for sleep, relaxation, and focus, but to be very clear: There’s not enough evidence to make definitive statements. That being said, if you find nature sounds relaxing, you’ll probably benefit from listening to brown noise.
The takeaway
Sound therapy is generally accepted as a way to reduce stress, improve sleep, and feel more relaxed (especially if you’re getting your sound therapy via true nature sounds6). But things get a little murkier when discussing specific sound colors. Research is ongoing here, but researchers haven’t quite figured out if there are true benefits to getting really nitty gritty with your sound therapy. Instead, most recommend a generalized approach: Find what sounds feels good to you, and go with those.
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